Shelf for refrigerator cabinets



Oct. 5, 1937. A. a. GATES SHELF FOR REFRIGERATOR CABINEI'S Filed July 6, 1935 s, m w m n .CB nm wt ea ct vm A nmwws rW U b. 4 Q C! Patented Oct. 5, 1937 p v UNITED STATES SHELF FOR REFRIGERATOR CABINETS Archibald B. Gates, Peter-borough, Canada, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application July 6, 1935, Serial No. 30,095 In Canada July 28, 1934 5 Claims.

My invention relates to shelves for refrigerator cabinets or the like, and more particularly to extensible shelf assemblies.

It is an object of my invention to provide an extensible shelf assembly, the parts of which are moved into and out of telescoping relation and in which the parts are arranged in such manner that articles supported on one of the parts are automatically transferred to the other part when the parts are moved into telescoping relation.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1' is a perspective view of the lower portion of a refrigerator cabinet provided with an extensible shelf assembly embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the extensible shelf assembly shown in Fig.. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of the shelf assembly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a portion of the side bar being broken away; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front view of a portion of the shelf shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, as viewed in the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown in Fig. 1 the lower portion of a household type refrigerator cabinet having inner and-outer sheet metal walls l0 and II respectively which are separated by a layer of heat insulation l2. The front of the cabinet is provided with an opening l3 adapted to be closed by a door [4 hinged as at l5 to the outer cabinet wall H. The cooling compartment l6 of the refrigerator thus formed is provided with an extensible shelf assembly embodying my invention. This shelf assembly includes an open front border frame of a pair of horizontal longitudinally extending side bars or members ill and it made of stiff wire or .the like, the rear ends of which are connected by a horizontal transverse bar l9. I'he ends of the bar it are welded, or otherwise rigidly secured, to the rear portions of the longitudinal bars ii and it.

Both ends of the bars if and I8 are bent in a U-shape and, as best shown in Fig. 4, the plane of the U-shaped bend. makesan angle with the vertical plane passing through the associated longitudinal bars I?! and it. -The outer legs of the U-shaped bends form a four-point support for the border frame. The outer leg of each U- shaped bend formed in the ends of the rods H and i8 rests on a suitable supporting studw secured to the inner wall H! of the refrigerator. The ends of the outer legs of the U-bends are turned down at Ma and 18a to engage the studs 20' so as to prevent the frame from shifting on the studs. The longitudinal bars ll and N are thus supported out of contact with the adjacent inner side walls ill of the compartment IS.

The rear portion of the border frame described above is constructed to provide a fixed shelf. This fixed shelf includes a second transverse bar 2 I, the ends of which are welded to the longitudinal bars i1 and !8 intermediate their ends, and a series of longitudinal bars 22 arranged in spaced relation with their opposite ends welded to the transverse bars l9 and 2 l. A second shelf is slidably supported on the border frame and. is movable into and out of telescoping relation with the fixed shelf formed by the longitudinal bars 22 and transverse bars l9 and 2|. This slidable shelf includes a pair of transverse bars 23 and 24, and a series of longitudinalbars 25 arranged in spaced relation in the spaces between the iongitudinal bars 22. The opposite ends of the bars 25 are welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the transverse bars 23 and 24. The opposite ends of 'the bar 24 are bent downwardly about the rods H and i8 forming open face hooks in order to prevent lateral displacement of the slidable front shelf.

The bar 23 which forms the rear edge of tne frame of the slidable front shelf is arranged to move below the upper surface of the bars 22 of the fixed rear shelf in such manner that articles carried on the movable front shelf will be automatically transferred to the fixed rear shelf when the shelves are moved into telescoped relation. In the illustrative form of my invention, a pair of guide bars 26 and 27 carried by the longitudinal bars H and i8 respect ely are provided for supporting the opposite ends of the transverse bar 23, the ends of the latter being located with-- in the sides of the border frame. The opposite ends of the bars 26 and 21 are bent over the adjacent portions of the bars ill and I8 and are welded or otherwise rigidly secured thereto. The guide b'ars 25-and 21 are located below the rear portions of the bars I! andv l8 respectively, and within the border frame. The rear portions of the guide bars 2t and 21- are spaced a greater distance below the adjacent portions of the bare it and it than the front portions thereof, so as to provide a support inclined from the front to the rear for supporting the rear edge of the front shelf. It will thus be'seen when the movable shelf. is moved into telescoping relation with the rear fixed shelf that the rear edge of the movable shelf formed by the transverse bar23 will move downwardly along the supporting bars 26 and 2'! below the surface of the major portions of the bars 22 forming the supporting portion of the rear shelf.- The rear portions of the bars 25 are bent downwardly at 25a adjacent the transverse bar 2i. The bars 25 move across the top of the transverse bar 2!, and since the bars 22 and 25 are of approximately the same depth, the portion front shelf adjacent the front edge of the rear shelf is substantially coplanar therewith. Any article supported on the bars 25 of the front shelf will be transferred to the rods 22 of the rear shelf-while any' article supported on the rods 22 will remain unaffected, when the shelves are moved into telescoped relation. Whenthe shelves are again moved into an extended position, anyarticle' supported on the rear portion of the rods 22 will remain unaflected'by the movement of the front shelf. By suitably dimensioning the fixed and movable shelves, described above, I can obtain anextensible shelf construction, which in its most extended position, occupies substantially: the entire cross-sectional area of the cabinet, thus affording a maximum of shelf area for the support of articles to be stored thereon. On the other hand, in the contracted or telescoped position of the parts of the shelf, storage space is afforded both for articles placed on the rearmost or fixed part and for articles requiring extra overhead "clearance which may be placed on the bottom of. the cabinet. Thus, by

using one or more of the shelf assemblies of my invention inthe cabinet, articles of various heights greater than the vertical spacing of the shelves" may be stored, while the maximum of shelf space is provided at all times for articles of lesser height. In changing the shelf area available in my extensible shelf assembly, the articles' supported thereon will not be tipped over or otherwise disturbed by the relative movement of the fixed and movable shelves, making up my extensible shelf assembly.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention in connection with a refrigerator cabinet, I do not desire my. invention to be limitedto the particular construction shown and described, and I intendin the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by upper surface of the portion of said second shelf forwardly of the front edge of said fixed shelf is substantially coplanar with the upper surface of said fixed shelf and in which the upper surface of a major portion of said second shelf rearwardly of the frontedge of said fixed shelf is located below the upper surfacefof said fixed shelf when said shelves are arranged in telescoped relation.

2. An extensible shelfassembly comprising a border frame including a pair of longitudinally extending side members, a fixed shelf at the rear portion of said. frame, a second shelf movable with respect to said fixed shelf, and means including a guide bar secured to the side of each of said longitudinal side members for supporting saidsecondshelf in a position in which the upper surface of the portion of said second shelf'forwardly of the front edge of said'fixed shelf is substantially coplanar with the upper surface of "aid' fixed shelf and in which the upper surface of ama'ior portion of said second shelf rearwardly ofithe front edge of said fixed shelf is located below the upper surface of said fixed shelf when said shelves are arranged in' telescoped relation.

3. An extensible shelf assembly comprising a border frame'including a pair of longitudinally extending side members, a fixed shelf at the rear portion of said frame, a second-shelf mov-. able with respect to said fixed shelf, and means for supporting said second shelf in a position in which the upper surface of the portion of said second shelf forwardly of the front edge of said fixed shelf is substantially coplanar with the upper surface of said fixed shelf and in which the upper surface of a major portion of said second shelf rearwardly of the front edge of saidfixed shelf is located below the upper surface of said fixed shelf when said shelves are arranged in telescoped relation, said means including a guide bar secured to the lower'side of each of said longitudinal side members, the rearend of each of said guide bars being spaced a greater distance below saidjlongitudinal side members than the front end thereof. I

. 4. An extensible shelf assemblyjcompris-ing a border frame, a fixed shelf including a plurality of longitudinally extending bars arranged in spaced relation, said fixed shelf being at the rear portion of said border frame; a second shelf including a rectangular frame slidably mounted for movement on said border frame into and out of telescoping relation with ,saidfixed shelf, said second shelf including a plurality of longitudinally extending bars arranged in spaced relation in the spaces betweer'rs'aid first mentioned bars, and means for supporting said second shelf in a position in which the upper surface of the portion of said second shelf forwardly of the front edge of. said fixed shelf is substantially coplanar with the upper surface of said fixed shelf and in which. the upper surfaceof a major portion of said second shelf reairwardly of the front edge of said fixed shelf is located below the upper surface of said fixed shelf when said shelves are arranged in telescoped relation.

5. An extensible-shelf assembly comprising a border frame, said border frame including a pair of longitudinal side bars and a transverse bar secured to the rear portions of ,said longitudinal; .side bars, a fixed shelf including a plurality of longitudinally extending bars arranged in spaced relation, a fixed transverse bar secured to the intermediate portions of said longitudinal side bars, said longitudinally extending bars of said fixed shelf being secured in spaced relation on said transverse bars, a second shelfincluding a rectangular frame, said second shelf including a plurality of longitudinally extending bars arranged in spaced relation in the spaces'between said longitudinally extending bars of said fixed shelf, said plurality of longitudinally extending bars of said second shelf beingprovided with a bend intermediate their ends to form front and rear "shelf portions, and means for supporting said second shelf-in a position in which the front portion thereof adjacent the front edge ofsaid fixed shelf is substantially coplanar therewith and in which the rear edge of said frame of said second shelf is located below the upper surface of said fixed shelf when said shelves are arranged in telescoped relation, said means including a guide bar secured to the lower side of .each of said longitudinal side bars of said border frame, the rear end of each of said guide bars being spaced'a greater distance below said longitudinal side bars than the front end thereof.

A'RCHIBALD B. GATES. 

